American Zionist Council Thanks Congress for Passing Palestine Resolution

Passage of the Palestine Resolution by Congress was today hailed by Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and Dr. Stephen S. Wiso, joint chairmen of the American Zionist Emergency Council, in a telegram to the President pro tempors of the Senate, Kenneth MoKellar, and to Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn. The text of the message follows:

“On behalf of the entire Zionist movement of America, we wish to express to you, and through you, to the membership of the Senate and House of Representatives, the feeling of deep gratification shared by all of us at the passage by Congress of the Palestine resolution. Adopted with virtual unanimity after prolonged consideration and debate by both Houses of Congress, the resolution reaffirms in clear and unmistakable terms American support of the right of the Jewish people freely to enter Palestine, the Jewish National Home, and to reconstitute that country as a democratic commonwealth, all of whose inhabitants, regardless of race or creed, shall enjoy equal rights.

“The resolution comes at a crucial moment in the development of the Jewish National Home and has given new hope to the remnants of European Jewry who look to Palestine as their only salvation. It has served notice on those who would deliberately scrap the historical international pledge made by the nations of the world a quarter of a century ago, and who would stifle the cry of agony that comes to us from the ruins of Europe, that the American people continue to regard that pledge as morally and legally compulsive and will seek its fulfilment.

“The action now taken by Congress reflects the determination of the American Government and people to maintain those principles of justice, of good faith and of humanity on which alone a peaceful and enduring international society can be founded.”

NEW ZIONIST ORGANIZATION WARNS AGAINST LOOPHOLES

Congratulations on the passage of the resolution have been sent by the New Zionist Organization of America to Senators Wagner and Taft, who introduced the measure in the upper house. Thanking the Senators for their “foresight and courage in your struggle on behalf of the Palestine resolution,” Colonel Morris J. Mendelsohn, president, and Major William R. Friedman, chairman of the NZO executive, warned against loopholes that exist in the resolution.

Their warning pointed out that “conditioning Jewish immigration to Palestine upon the economic absorptive capacity of the country may give British colonial administrators a false pretext for limiting Jewish entry and development.” Another possible loophole indicated was the possibility of using sections of the resolution against the major aim of “creating a Jewish National Home and the establishment of a free and democratic country.”